Today’s post was written by Paul.
I hate that I missed uploading a video on Hank’s birthday this year, but better late than never. When I was little, Pap would sometimes play his guitar like a Native American drum to entertain me, and he would sing bits and pieces of this song. This is my attempt to copy his technique.
There are several cool stories about how or why Hank wrote certain songs. Unfortunately, some of those stories are just myths. I saw this one on a documentary, so hopefully, it’s true: As the story goes, Hank was greatly struggling with alcoholism and his associates were trying to help. Someone (possibly Fred Rose) was driving Hank out into the country. While they were driving, they passed a sign that said, “Kawaliga Village.” Hank then began to beat on the dashboard of the car from the passenger seat and compose this song about a wooden cigar store Indian. The way the story was told, the driver was taking Hank to an isolated cabin so that he could be away from alcohol and start to recover.
Just before I uploaded this, I thought I would do a few minutes of research online. I thought that I might find some info about the Kawaliga Village. I assumed that it was a campground, and I assumed that it was somehow related to Native Americans. I was surprised to learn that it was instead an African American community in Alabama, started by freed slave John Jackson Benson in the late 1800’s. In 1926, it was covered by Lake Martin.
Benson purchased the plantation of his former “owner” and started the community with the help of his son. Though the town was never incorporated, they built a school to teach African Americans industrial skills and to offer other educational opportunities. They created an industrial company and even the first black-owned railroad! The history of this community is fascinating, especially the info about Benson’s life (how he earned the money for the land purchase by mining coal, how he found and retrieved his sister who was separated from him when they were slaves), and you can learn more about it at Wikipedia and other sites.
One would think he would have called the community/town Benson, but he named the community after the name the Muscogee Tribe gave to the creek in that area. I hope the Bensons and other citizens were paid well for their land before the lake covered it. The village would have been underwater when Hank turned 3, but signs for the village could presumably still have been visible along roadsides, etc. At any rate, that’s as far as I went in trying to confirm the validity of the story.
Rose is credited as co-author, so if he was the driver, that would make sense. This was the first song I ever heard that switched from a minor to major key, at least in such a dramatic fashion (verses completely in minor, chorus completely in major).
Wooden Native American figures were once common in stores in the south. When I was a kid, there was a store we stopped at often when we were going to my granny’s house (mom’s mom). It was called Grizzly Bear Trading Post. It had a large wooden Native American near the tobacco products at the register. For some reason, we all referred to the store as “Grizzle Bear.” I guess it was easier to say. It’s still there but has been modernized into a chain store and no longer has the wooden figure.
I have great respect for Native American Culture, and I hope no one is offended by this upload. I think the same would be true for Hank. This song, along with songs like Bill Monroe’s Cheyenne, are simply attempts to take Native American music and set it to a European structure. I think “appropriation” is a false concept as it is applied today. No culture is superior to another, and we should be able to mix things we like together in the way we like. Unless someone falsely claims to be the originator of something they took or learned from someone else, I don’t see any harm.
Regardless of what folks think on that subject, this is a very imaginative song. I think it can teach an important lesson: sometimes if you hesitate, an opportunity can vanish. As they say in the sports world, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
Many of Hank’s songs seem to be based on his life experiences. I think this one is an exception. He didn’t seem to be too reserved in approaching ladies. According to one documentary and a feature film that I saw, he pretty much proposed to his second wife upon meeting her, and it didn’t matter that she was with her boyfriend at the time (Ray Price).
Though Hank doesn’t seem to have been good with life choices, he was a genius musically, and I appreciate the enriching influence he had on American Music!
Hope you enjoyed the video!
Paul
Original singles released on Spotify.
Well done! Love hearing you sing Paul. My dad was a big Hank Williams fan, Senior and Jr too and would’ve enjoyed hearing you singing it too.
Bravo!
I think Hank is one of the first I remember hearing as a kid. I have loved his music all my life. Malika and running bear, Are two of the songs that have stuck in my mind all my life. By his music Hank lives on forever. Along with many great country singers.
Throughly enjoyed this video and the history of this song. Haven’t heard it since I was a little girl! Paul, thank you for sharing your talent with us!
I loved the video!
Loved it ! 🙂
Very entertaining!:)
He did a great job with this song! I hadn’t heard this in a long time. Brought back a lot of memories.
Great job, Paul. Thank you!!
Wow, Paul!! What an interesting blog on John Jackson Benson! I love American history and intend to check him out. He sounds like an amazing man and I’m sure his ancestors must be mighty proud of him. Your playing was amazing as always and your voice as well. Best thing I ever did on the internet was find Tippers blogs and videos. You have an amazing family and I pray God’s blessings on all of you and your families thousands of fans!
To me, Hank’s song “Lost Highway” is about his life. I know of people and friends that I have grew up with that has had alcohol destroy their life. I am proud to say that in my family and my wife’s family none of us needed alcohol to enjoy ourselves. I think this is one reason we all got along with one another as well as we did. When I was a teenager, I remember hearing a former alcoholic say “no one takes their first drink intending to become an alcoholic.” That has stuck with me all of my life. I did take a sip of beer one time at Bush Gardens in Florida and told them to pour it back in the horse that pissed it out.
You did an amazing rendition of this song. I remember singing it as a kid. My parents had several country music lp record albums we listened to. I remember Johnny Cash and Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette albums. Maybe we had Hank Williams too—either that or I heard it on the radio.
I watched the video on YouTube a couple days ago. Of course I thoroughly enjoyed it but there was something I failed to notice at the time. This morning it jumped right out of the screen and in my eyeballs. Paul has on a Reno and Smiley tee shirt. Smiley was my 1st cousin 2x removed. Arthur Lee Smiley Jr. 1924-1972. His nickname was “Red”. How ingenious to print “Smiley” in red! So now you have a Red Smiley which was his stage name. Reno’s given name was Don but you wouldn’t know that from the tee shirt.
Where did Paul get that tee shirt? I need one!
Ed-he said he thought he got it from Red Bubble 🙂
I was born (1945) and raised in Ala. My daddy was a huge Hank Sr. fan, and so am I. We took Sunday drives all over Ala and I don’t remember what town but there was a general store with a wood Indian. I’ve never seen anyone play a guitar like a drum … love it!
Thanks for sharing the video. Very interesting.
Everyone have a great Sunday in the Lords house today.
This article was fascinating! I enjoy so much when you (and Tipper) include history lessons ! This type article opens up opportunity not only for knowledge but ideas of short trips to take. Thank you got that!
Please continue to celebrate our mountain heritage. I am in WNC. No better place to be.
I live in Montgomery AL and not too far northeast of me is Lake Martin. There is still an area there called Kawliga. There is a bridge with the name, a marina and a restaurant called Kawliga. The restaurant has a large wooden Indian statue in the lobby. The restaurant has been there for years and I think this may be the third statue. It I used to stand outside the door but sadly was stolen at least once. Y’all come visit! It’s a beautiful area.
My Dad would occasionally sing a line or two of “Kawaliga”. I don’t recall ever having heard the entire song before. Glad you looked up the backstory. Kawaliga Village would undoubtedly be an historic site now had it not been drowned. I never saw a wooden Indian in my growing up years that I recall. There are a few folks around though that make them as artwork that I have seen pictures of.
What a great read. Thank you Paul for all the history you shared. My hubby loves Hank too.
Thank you Paul and Tipper for sharing your knowledge.
I used to sing this song a lot but did not know the history. Thanks for the history and your great singing and guitar playing!!!
Loved hearing this song. It’s been a long time since I heard it.
Addiction has taken so many talented people’s lives. I can’t even imagine all the songs he would have written if he had lived longer.
This song took me back to my childhood…driving along and listening to the radio with my parents. Songs have a way of doing that.
I always enjoyed hearing this song as a kid. I could just see poor Kaw-liga watching his love from afar but never able to act on those feelings.
Thank you! That was always a favorite song of his to me. Paul you did a great job of playing and singing it! God bless you and yours❤❤
I don’t think I have ever heard a Hank Williams, Sr song that I didn’t like. I had no idea about the history of this song. I think many of the songs Hank wrote were about his life and sung from his heart. I worked with a man when I was a young man and heard him say he saw some of the coldest hearted men cry like babies during the Korean War when they heard Hank’s song “ I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry.”
I wrote a late comment on yesterday’s post about coon hunting and one of my best friends, my father in law. To me he was a lot like Pap, I would appreciate some of you looking back and reading it.